


Coming Home

by Banshee1013



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Best Friends, Everyone Ships Castiel/Dean Winchester, Family Reunions, Fluff and Angst, Idiots in Love, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-15
Updated: 2020-02-15
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:54:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,236
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22732114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Banshee1013/pseuds/Banshee1013
Summary: Cas and Dean have been best friends forever, inseparable. When college finally does separate them, the distance between them grows, until they finally reunite four years later at their family's annual gathering to celebrate both their impending college graduation and their brother's high school graduation.Change is in the air - will it drive them further apart, or bring them together?
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester, Gabriel/Sam Winchester
Comments: 16
Kudos: 109





	Coming Home

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Ash, and the SPN Family Discord Valentine's Day Exchange, and answering the prompt "The door one of the characters had locked, is wide open."
> 
> Happy Valentine's Day, Ash! I hope this brings you joy! <3

Castiel paced nervously by the front window, both anticipating and dreading the impending rumble from the engine of a particular muscle car. 

“You’re gonna wear a hole in the carpet if you keep that up,” Gabe quipped behind him, leaning against the doorway to the kitchen, emphasizing his point by waving the lollipop in his hand over the depression in the carpet under Cas’ feet.

“Don’t you have to pack for the party?” Cas growled at him, but stopped pacing and chose to lean against the wall by the window instead.

It had been four years since Cas had last seen Dean, his best friend - when graduation and leaving for college had pulled them apart. Before that, they had been all but inseparable.

Cas and Dean had been best friends since kindergarten. They had grown up together, Cas and his little brother Gabriel living next door to Dean’s Uncle Bobby, Aunt Ellen, and their daughter Jo when Dean and his little brother Sam came to live with them after their parents had died. Cas and Dean's bedroom windows had even faced each other, and they would talk every night before going to bed, hanging out of their windows with walkie-talkies to hear each other. 

Early in high school, he had begun to believe he might be gay, but the day he knew it for certain was when he glanced out of his bedroom window and across into Dean's, saw him making out with one of their classmates, Rhonda Hurley, and was shocked to find himself burning with jealousy - not because Dean had someone and he didn’t, but because it was _Rhonda_ that Dean was with and not _him_. Dean was the one he came out to first, and Dean, being the kind, sweet friend he has always been to Cas, embraced him, accepted him, and was a firm ally. But of course, Cas never told Dean how much deeper his feelings went for him - Rhonda wasn't the last girl he would see Dean with and knew Dean wouldn't feel the same way, and the last thing he wanted was to lose their friendship. Even so, all through high school, they remained inseparable. 

Then, graduation and leaving for college did finally separate them.

They still kept in touch, phone calls every day at first as a replacement for the walkie-talkie window chats, but they were clear across the country from each other, Dean taking Mechanical Engineering at UC Berkeley while Cas was majoring in Animal Husbandry at the University of Illinois. Distance, time zones, and studies kept them too busy, and the calls dropped to weekly, then occasionally. The distance between them grew - but even after dating a string of other men, Cas' feelings for Dean never waned. 

Dean's aunt and uncle would throw an annual Labor Day "Last Blast of Summer" party before school started, up at their cabin in Sioux Falls, and Cas, Gabe, and their mother Naomi were always invited to stay up at the cabin with them. The four brothers would share a bunkhouse-style room, two bunk beds on either side of the room, and it was the rare evening where Bobby wouldn’t have to pay them a visit or three to tell them to shut the hell up and go to sleep already. It was a cherished annual ritual all the way through Cas and Dean’s high school graduation party

The first year after they had left for college, Dean came home for the party - but Cas couldn’t. Gabe had apologized for him, explaining Cas couldn't get away from his summer internship, needing the money to help pay for school. Cas couldn't make it the next two years either - jobs or studies always keeping him away.

This year, however, it was Sam, Gabe, and Jo’s turn - their high school graduation party, and Cas knew this was one he couldn’t miss. Having just a single semester left before his own college graduation, he had no more excuses - but he was admittedly nervous about showing up again after all this time.

And if he was being truthful with himself, he ached to see Dean again, even if it meant getting his heart crushed.

It had been almost a year since he and Dean had talked - the last time, when Dean had asked him how he was doing and Cas had mentioned his new boyfriend Balthazar, he could almost hear Dean shut down, his curt “Great talking to you, gotta go” stinging Cas to the quick. Since then, there had been a text message now and then, one in which Dean mentioned something about Lisa, a new girl he had met, and Cas’ heart broke all over again. He broke it off with Balthazar shortly afterward - he felt it wasn’t fair to continue dating someone when his heart belonged to someone else.

So here Castiel was, on the eve of the big summer party with family and friends he hadn’t seen in over four years, nervous about the reception he would receive - but more terrified of seeing Dean again with this Lisa on his arm and discovering Dean had moved on without him.

==============================================

As he turned onto the street leading to his house, Dean was surprised to notice how tightly he was gripping the steering wheel, his knuckles white from the tension he was feeling.

Coming home for the summer was nothing new for him - the money left to Dean and Sam when their parents had died was enough to ensure that neither he nor Sam would have to work their way through college (although Dean had plenty of side jobs just to keep himself busy). But this year was special - a five-way graduation party, with Sam, Gabe, and Jo all graduating high school, and he and Cas just a semester away from college graduation.

And Cas was actually going to make it this year.

The thought of seeing Cas again after all this time, and remembering how he had cut Cas off after hearing about Balthazar, caused a pit of ice to appear where his stomach once was.

High school and college graduations for the five who had grown up together - change was in the air. But other things had changed for Dean this last year as well, something he never thought he would feel, or have to admit to his family - or to Cas. 

It had started with that phone call, the one where Cas had mentioned Balthazar - and the feeling of despair that news brought had shocked him to his core. He should be happy for Cas but was far from it, and it was then when he realized he was in love with his best friend - who was a _guy_. 

How could this be? He had always liked women, enjoyed their company, liked the way they smelled and felt when he held them - but also realized he felt this exact same thing whenever he thought of Cas.

What did this mean, these new feelings of heartbreak and jealousy over his best friend having a boyfriend?

It took talking to some of his more open-minded friends to discover there was a term for his mixed attractions. 

Dean was still unsure as to whether he was going to say anything about it at all - he was still experimenting with the idea of his bisexuality, even going so far as to date a very sweet girl, Lisa, and while he liked her a lot, was still attracted to her - he just couldn’t get Cas out of his mind. 

He broke it off with her shortly before making the trip home, knowing it wasn’t fair to her for him to string her along when he was obviously in love with someone else - even if that someone else was taken already.

He also wondered what his family and friends -- and _Cas_ \-- would say, or feel. And this party was not about him, it was about new beginnings, for all of them.

So he debated with himself and waffled back and forth, and his grip on the wheel became tighter and tighter the closer he got to home. 

==============================================

Cas had finally had enough of Gabe’s teasing and had made himself busy in the kitchen, making lunch for himself and Gabe, making sure he was packed for the trip (although he had never unpacked from coming home from his dorm), and other busywork. His mom, along with Bobby and Ellen, had left for the cabin earlier this morning to get everything ready for the rest of the family, with the kids coming up later after Dean arrived.

He did everything he could to prevent himself from returning to his patrol of the front window. 

When he does hear the rumble of the muscle car's engine, the ball of ice lodged in his gut plummeted several degrees. He forced himself to finish his current task (repacking his bag for the fourth time) rather than race to the window to see who, if anyone, was in the car with Dean - not only to prevent more teasing from Gabe, who was hovering nearby in anticipation of his reaction, but to also prolong the inevitable.

“Hey, Cas… Dean’s here! Isn’t this what you’ve been waiting for?” Gabe taunts him, turning from the window to waggle eyebrows at him.

Cas glowers at him and continues to fiddle with his bag.

Then he hears Sam's happy greeting with Jo chiming in and he can resist no longer. Rising and making his way to the window, the pit in his stomach getting colder and colder, he peeks through the curtains. Dean is standing on the curb next to his big, beautiful Impala, just breaking off a hug with Jo and talking animatedly with Sam - but that’s it. He sees no one else with Dean, and his heart leaps - and then his breath catches with how absolutely stunning he is. 

Dean had always been a handsome guy - as many of the girls (and a surprising number of guys) in high school would attest to. But four years had matured him from boyishly handsome to completely gorgeous. His hair had taken on a lighter tone, reddish highlights glinting in the late afternoon sun, bright smile flashing. 

And when Sam gestured toward Cas’ house and those green eyes turned his way - Cas audibly gasped and backed away from the window so quickly, he hit the back of the couch and almost flipped over the top of it.

This did _not_ go unnoticed by Gabe, who almost doubled over in mirth, and Cas felt his face go hot with embarrassment.

“C’mon, Cas. Pull yourself together and let’s go say Hi!”

==============================================

As Dean drove up the street and pulled up to his house, he couldn't stop himself from glancing over to Cas and Gabe's house as he passed, and had to shove down the anxiety crawling up his throat. 

After Sam and Jo had told him Cas was finally coming home for the annual party, he had been beside himself wondering if Cas was bringing someone home with him - maybe that new boyfriend of his, Balthazar. The feeling of anticipation at seeing his best friend after four years was tempered by the choking anxiety of the thought that his best friend had found someone and moved on without him.

As he parked in front of the house and shut off the engine, Sam and Jo burst out of the front door, Jo running to give him a big hug with Sam arriving at a more sedate pace.

“Hey, Jerk! How’s it hangin’?” Sam shouted jovially, clapping a hand on his shoulder in greeting.  
“Slightly to the left, Bitch - how ‘bout you?” Dean joked back, returning Jo’s hug.

“So… what’s the plan?” Dean asks as he releases Jo, then takes a deep breath. “Are we all gonna fit in the Impala? I mean, she’ll hold 5 but…” he trails off, the question obvious in his voice.

“Well, Cas is here,” Sam said, then turns and waves toward Cas and Gabe’s house, “so let’s go inside the house. Then we can discuss arrangements.”

Dean glances over at Sam’s wave and sees Gabe waving back merrily in the window - and a flash of dark hair and blue eyes as the curtain is rapidly closed. His breath freezes in his chest, his mouth suddenly dry. 

Jo tugs at his hand. “Come _on_ , Dean, you’ll see him soon enough. There’s someone I want you to meet!” She pulls and Dean unsticks his feet from the pavement to follow her. 

Inside, he gets his first surprise - Jo’s boyfriend, Adam. She’d talked about him during his calls to her, of course, but he hadn’t realized it had reached the level to where he would be accompanying them to the annual family party. But he appeared to be a great guy and was obviously smitten with Jo, and Dean approved. 

As he’s grilling the kid about his intentions toward his little sister, the doorbell rang. Jo pulls Adam away from him and shoves him toward the door. Gripping the door handle, he takes a deep breath, and pulls it open - and was stunned silent by the sight of Cas standing on the doorstep, all six-feet gorgeous of him.

If Dean had any doubts about his feelings toward Cas, they were instantly dispelled the second he saw him again. 

For the first time in four years, he _knew_ Cas _was_ and had _always been_ the only one for him. 

But would Cas still feel the same?

Neither of them realized how long they stood there, silently staring at each other. Finally, Gabe rolled his eyes to shove past his brother, dropping their bags on the other side of the door and making his way to Sam. He then shocked both Dean and Cas by standing on tiptoes to wrap his arms around Sam's neck, pulling him down for a kiss.

“Hey Sammitch,” Gabe purred as Sam wrapped his arms around him, turning toward Dean and Cas, still standing in the doorway, mouths agape.

“Uh… surprise?” Sam said sheepishly.

Dean was the first to come to his senses, striding from the door to give his brother and Gabe a hug, Cas on his heels and stepping in to do the same when Dean stepped back. 

Cas stepped back from Sam and Gabe and slowly turned toward Dean, and those blue eyes hit him with full force.

“Hello, Dean.”

Dean’s mouth went dry for the second time today, but he finally managed to choke out, “Heya, Cas.”

“OKAY. Can we get this show on the road already?” Gabe burst in, much to Dean’s relief. “I believe there’s a party waiting for us, once we get our heads out of our butts and figure out how we’re getting there!”

“How about Gabe, Jo, Adam, and I in my car, and Dean, you and Cas go in the Impala?” Sam offered, and the rest of the group quickly agreed. It wasn’t as if Dean were going to say no, but he searched Cas’ eyes for any sign of discomfort at the idea and was relieved to see none there.

“Sounds good. Shall we load ‘em up and head out, then?” he suggested.

Everyone nodded and turned to gather their bags. Sam led the way to his car and opened the trunk, where the four dumped their bags and piled in. Dean led the way back to the Impala, opening the trunk. He reached for Cas’ bag and tossed it inside along with his own. 

Dean gestured to the passenger door, watching as Sam pulled out of the driveway and drove away, the four waving as they passed. “Shall we?” Cas nodded and climbed into the passenger seat. Dean sat behind the wheel, turned the ignition over and followed Sam. 

Neither knew what to say first. 

Cas finally broke the silence. “So, uh… how’s Lisa? Is she meeting you at the cabin?” The words were dull in his ears, and he hoped Dean didn’t hear how much they hurt for him to say.

Dean swallowed. “I broke up with her. She’s a great gal, but… she’s not for me.”

Cas felt his heart rate speed up to about a thousand BPM at the news, and closed his eyes, forcing himself to calm down. Just because he didn’t have a girlfriend now didn’t mean there wouldn’t be another one in the future.

“What about you?” Dean asked, forcing his voice into nonchalance. “Balthazar, right?”

“The same.” Cas couldn’t think of anything else to say without giving anything else away - but he swears he sees Dean's shoulders relax at the news. 

Their admissions lowered the floodgates, and they spent the next several hours catching up, four year's separation disappearing as if they never happened.

As Dean approached the turn for the road to the cabin, he suddenly pulled over, turning in his seat to face Cas' puzzled look.

"There's something I have to tell you, Cas."

Cas felt his heart in his throat, and he couldn’t speak. This would be the moment where Dean tells him he knows how Cas feels about him and he just doesn't feel the same way, and it would _crush_ him.

Instead, he was shocked when Dean reached over to take his hand, green eyes wide and searching his, nervously biting his bottom lip. Finally, he spoke.

"Cas, you gave me your trust back in high school when you came out to me. It's time for me to return the favor." Dean took a deep breath. "Cas, I'm bi… and I love you."

Cas was shocked speechless, and his eyes brimmed with tears as the words hit home. 

Dean felt his heart stop, terrified he’d gone too far, when Cas scooted across the seat toward him. 

Tentatively, he reached to cup Dean’s jaw, running a thumb across his cheek, and gently pulled him close to press his lips to Dean’s.

Breaking the kiss, he pulls back and captures Dean’s eyes. 

"Dean, I've been in love with you since the day I came out to you." 

Dean’s face crumpled, and he reached for Cas, pulling him into a hug. They both held on, finally pulling away to stare at each other, unbelieving and happy.

"C'mon, let's get to that cabin,” Dean said, his smile radiant. “I think we have some news those guys are going to want to hear."

Pulling the Impala back onto the road, they drove up to the cabin and were surprised to see everyone waiting for them, breaking into applause when they exit the car. They paused, puzzled at the response, and Sam and Gabe, hand in hand, approached to embrace their brothers.

"I see you idiots finally figured it out!" Gabe laughed.

"You knew?" Dean asked, baffled.

"It's been pretty obvious to everyone but you idjits!" Bobby yells from behind them.

"It took some conniving but we finally got you dumbasses together long enough to figure it out!" Jo laughed, and the entire family gathered around, folding Cas and Dean into a group hug.

Bobby's the one who finally broke it up. 

"Looks like we've really got something to celebrate! Let's get this party goin'!"

Dean turned to Cas, cupping his face with both hands and soundly kissing him, and Cas was more than happy to reciprocate.

"We're such idiots." he said, pressing his forehead to Cas'.

"We are,” Cas agreed. “But no longer.” Taking Dean's hand, he led him toward the cabin to join their family.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!  
> If you love all things Destiel, come join me at the funnest, most supportive place on Discord, the [Profound Bond Discord Server](http://discord.profoundbond.net/)!


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